How much do I really love the NoHo Arts District? #ILoveNOHO
My name is Tatyanna and I am a local NoHo resident and blogger at iheartnoho.com. It is with great pleasure that I will be a contributor here at OfficialNoHo.
How much do I really love NoHo? I love NoHo in the same way I love my favorite childhood book (The Giving Tree) or the way I love my hometown (Springfield, MA).
I struggled with what to write about for my first post here. There are so many amazing restaurants, events and creative people that I could tell you about. But, I think it is important to give you a taste of what you can expect from my blog here at OfficialNoHo.
Those of who live and work in North Hollywood know how diverse, eclectic and full of life the area is. Here are some of my favorite known and not so well know spots in NoHo.
The NOHO Farmer’s Market
“Our local farmers market is sooo nice. Makes me feel tingly that I live a few blocks away!”
As you can see, local North Hollywood resident, Jose Marroquin, is very pleased that the NoHo Farmer’s Market exists. We are too!
On the day I found out the market was opening I squealed like a teenager. I already loved this area, but the farmer’s market has been a wonderful addition to our community with it’s organic fresh food vendors and great hot foods. It is also a fine place to meet your neighbors, hear music, learn about community organizations and interact with skilled local artists.
Every week at the Market, there is live music. The musicians are always local independent artists. I have to say that our local muiscal talent is incredible and one example is long time blues singer Susan Sheller. Susan opened for Johnny Winter in his last concert in Los Angeles before he transitioned to that blues bar in the sky. You can hear Susan Sheller’s music here: http://www.reverbnation.com/susansheller
Whether it’s for the music, running into your neighbors or getting some fresh dried raisins or eggs from a local farm, the NOHO Market has something for every NOHO area resident.
The NoHo Market is held every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Bakman Avenue, between Weddington Boulevard to the South and Chandler blvds to the North. More info: http://nohomarket.org/
Mini Cheesecakes in Valley Village
I love cheesecake! I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and every snack in between several times a week.
I made my first cheesecake from scratch at 22, shortly after my son was born. Twenty three years ago. I have tweaked the recipe and my cheesecakes are creamy and in demand during the holidays. But, cheesecake making is expensive and time consuming.
So, how do I get my cheesecake fix? How do I find delicious, unique and stunningly creative cheesecake nearby? That’s easy. Pacific Cheesecake Company (www.pacificcheesecake.com) in Valley Village aka that part of North Hollywood where the taxes are higher.
The really cool thing is, they sell 120 flavors of individually sized mini cheesecake for $3.25 each. 20 to 30 flavors are featured each day and they are constantly coming up with new flavors. They also sell full sized.
Location:
Pacific Cheesecake Company
4820 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
Valley Village, CA 91607
Salted caramel pretzel mini cheesecake
Actors Improv Studio: Noho’s Best Kept Secret
Confession: I am not an actor. I am someone who likes to act and I have written short plays, directed teens in short plays and acted in two plays here in Los Angeles.
Living in a community that has dozens of live theater companies in such a small geographic area, we are surrounded by acting classes of all shapes and sizes. Even so, the right “sized” class can be hard to find for many people. The ideal Improv class is one that professional actors attend and recommend, but it also accommodates and even caters to the every day person. When I spoke to a professional actor friend of mine, who is in her 60s, she said, “Improv scares me!” I got that reaction from a few people. It seems to be a common reaction when speaking of being tossed into a room of total strangers, asked to act silly and spontaneous while trying not to compare yourself to folks who have been doing this for years.
When I walked into the Actor’s Improv Studio on the night of my first class, I was welcomed by a group of actors who all knew each other. However, I did not feel any sort of strangeness and they quickly allowed me into their conversation, which was full of laughter and silliness. They were my kind of people! Class started with warm up exercises and I found myself jumping right in with both feet and doing things that made me push my boundaries. I especially liked passing the invisible object around. This activity used a skill that is invaluable to me as a writer and web designer. Creating a tangible thing from the ether.
Throughout the three-hour class I was struck over and over with moments of…”S#!@, am I going to be able to do this one?” Each and every time I surprised myself and my fellow classmates reacted positively to some of my choices in different scenarios we were placed in. It was also nice to be able to see the skills of these actors who have been honing their comic timing and spontaneous dialog for a long time. It was inspiring!
Whether you just want to dip your toe in these waters or dive right in, The Actor’s Improv Studio has a variety of options. Classes are capped at 10-12 students to keep the intimacy and allow time for one on one feedback. You may even get to opportunity watch film of yourself and laugh and cringe with the group. This part was invaluable.
There are often guest speakers and private coaching is available. For info you can go to the website OR click and email them at info@actorsimprovstudio.com for more information.
Location:
10707 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Exploring NoHo Together
I look forward to helping you explore hidden and lesser known parts of Noho as well as looking more deeply at some of your local favorites.
My next post here at OfficialNoho will be about a special dance class you can’t get anywhere else in LA. It is taught by two young women from France. I promise it will be worth the wait! Oo la la!
Until next time NoHo.
~Tatyanna
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Tatyanna has lived all over Los Angeles in her 15 years in the city, but in NoHo she found her new “hometown.”
After a 25-year career in non profit work, she left that arena to start her own business four years ago. In her “second act,” Tatyanna is a website designer, virtual assistant and overall Jane of All Trades.
She writes a hyper local blog about how much she loves NoHo at www.iheartnoho.com You can find her on twitter at @iheartnoho You can also find her work at www.egeriaconsulting.net